
iittle Jack’s 


Christmas 


ELIZABETH F. GUPTILL 


PRICE 15 CENTS 


EJdridge Entertainment House 

Franklin, Ohio 
















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ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE 

Franklin, Ohio 










Little Jack’s Christmas. 



By ELIZABETH F. GUPTILL. 

it 


Copyright. 1913, Eldrldge Entertainment House. 



PUBLISHED BY 

Eldridge Entertainment House, 

FRANKLIN OHIO; 





CHARACTERS 


Jack—the lost child. 

Larry—bootblack 
Tom—a bootblack 
Ikey—a newsboy 
Sam—a newsboy 
Carlotta—a neighbor. 

Mamie—a neighbor. 

Kiddg—Mamie’s little brother. 

Lawrence 1 

I 

Walter j 

I 

Lillian 

} Children who come to give the others 

Dorothy | a surprise. 

Kitty | 

Effie J 


I 

I 

)>Boys who adopt Jack. 

I 

I 




o 4 


SUGGESTIONS. 

As many as may be desired ‘Can be added to the visi¬ 
tors. The play may be lengthened by introducing spe¬ 
cialties in the “vodyville” show, or at the close of the 
play. 

No costuming required. The visitors should be well- 
dressed; the other children poorly dressed. 


DEC 26 1913 


Qnm 




Little Jack’s Christmas 


SCENE I. 

(A city street. Little Jack huddled on a doorstep, cry¬ 
ing. Enter Tom and Larry, with bootblack kits slung 
bver their shoulders. They pause abruptly, at sight of 
Jack.) 

Tom. Oh, look who’s here! 

Larry. And what do yez call it? 

Tom. Didn’t. It came widout any callin’. 

Larry. Yez don’t say so, now ! An’ what’s it a doin’ ? 

Tom. It’s a cryin’ like any oder baby boy,, what’s 
lost its bottle. 

Jack. I’m not a baby boy. I’m nine years old. 

Larry. Oh, yis, it’s a gurrul it is, an’ not a bye at 
all, at all 

Jack. I’m not a girl! 

Tom. It ain’t a girl and it ain’t a boy. It’s a great 
“what-is-it.” Hustle it along to the circus, quick. Mebbe 
’twill make our fortunes yet. 

Jack. Go away. 

Larry. Will yez hear thot? “Go away,” it says. Guess 
it’s young Vanderbilt himself. He owns the whole 
strate, if yez plaze, and won’t yez jist git off the face 
of the earth? 

Tom. Have you got a mortgage on the street, or do 
you own it outright? 

Jack. I wish you’d yet me alone. Oh, dear! Oh, 
deaf! ( cries harder ). 

Larry. There, there! Don’t cry so, gossoon. We’se 
were jist a-guyin’. What’s the matter of ye, anny ways? 

Jack. Everything. I’m—lost and—tired—and hun- 
gry, and— 


3 




4 


LITTLE JACK'S CHRISTMAS 


Tom. Hold on! That’s enough for one kid to be. 
If you’re tired, why rest awhile, yer don’t seem very 
busy. 

Jack. I was resting, when you came along and began 
to plague me. I’ve walked and walked, and my legs 
do ache so! 

Larry. An’ if yez is hungry, git outside o’ that. 

(Takes an apple from his pocket , and hands it to Jack, 
who begins to eat.) 

Jack. Oh, thank you. 

Tom. But lost! A boy of your size has no business 
getting lost. Where do you live? 

Jack. Nowhere, now. I was trying to get out into 
the country. 

Larry. How long had yez been tryin’ ? 

Jack. Since morning. 

Tom. Guess he went backward, like the clown at the 
circus. Why, this is the very heart of the city, kiddo. 

Larry. Yez moight hev axed a bobby. 

Jack, (wonderingly). A bobby? 

Tom. He means a policeman—the fellows with blue 
coats an’ brass buttons. 

Jack. I was afraid to—afraid they’d arrest me and 
put me there,—in the ’sylum, you know. 

I^arry. The ’sylum? The crazy ’sylum, or jist the or- 
phints’ ? 

Jack. The orphan ’sylum. I don’t want to go. 

Tom. I sh’d say not. They tried to put me there 
when my Dad died, but I hot-footed it lively. 

Larry. An’ are yez an orphint? 

Jack. Yes. Papa died when we lived in Millville, and 
Mamma and me moved here, so she could get sewing 
to do; but she’s been sick a long time, and now she’s 
dead, too, and the landlord took our furniture ’cause' 
we owed him rent, and he turned me out this morning, 
and told me to tell the first policeman I saw that I was 


LITTLE JACK'S CHRISTMAS 5 

an orphan, and he’d tak$ me to the ’sylum; but— oh 
dear! I don’t want to go there. 

Larry. To be coorse yez don’t. They’re shut up in 
a yard wid a high fence, and whin they go out on the 
strate, it’s to walk two and two, like the craters in Noah’s 
ark. 

Tom. What did you want to get out in the country 
for? 

Jack. I thought perhaps some farmer would let me 
stay for what I could do. Mamma lived on a farm 
once, and she’s told me lots about it. 

Larry. It’s a long ways, bedad, to anny farrums 
from here. Seein’s how yez are an orphint, guess Tom 
an’ me’ll hev to ’dopt yez. How would yez like that? 

Jack. Oh, first rate. But would your mother like it? 

Tom. Guess she won’t say much, if she don’t. We’re 
orphans, too—er, say, what’s your name, kid? 

Jack. John Worthington Norton; but Mamma always 
~ called me Jack, ’cause that’s what she called her brother, 
that I was named after. Do you live alone? 

Tom. Yes. That is, we live together, Larry and me 
and Sam and Ikey. They’re news boys. The lot of us 
hire a room together, and keep house in fine style. 

Jack. In one room? 

Larry. Sure. How manny do yez think we’se can 
afford to hire? Say, did yez iver help yez mother cook 
or wash up the plates? • 

Jack. Yes, I did it all when she was sick. 

I+arry. Then yez can do it for us, and earn yez board. 

Jack. I’ll be glad to help, if only I have a place to 
stay. 

Tom. Come on then. I’ve got fifty cents, and we’ll 
have bologna and bread for supper. Come on, kid, and 
get filled up. ( They pass out.) 


CURTAIN. 


6 


LITTLE JACK'S CHRISTMAS 


SCENE- II. 

(A rather hare room—the home of Larry and Tom. 
A plain table, and a rickety chair or two, together with 
the “tree '” are all the essentials. Jack is seated on the 
floor, stringing popcorn. Enter Tom, with a bag, which 
he puts on the table. Jack jumps up.) 

Jack. Oh, what you got there, Tom? 

Tom. Apples, Jacky. They’re not so big as I’ve seen 
’em, but they’re red as red can be. I wanted to be sure 
to have enough to go around, so I went in for number 
rather than size. 

Jack. Shall you put ’em on the tree? 

Tom. Sure. Just tie a string to the stem—tight, you 
know, and there you are. 

Jack. An apple isn’t much of a present. 

Tom. Yes, it is, to kids that don’t get any too many 
of ’em. Bet Mamie’s little brother’ll be just tickled to 
get one. ( Enter Larry, carrying the tree in one hand.) 

Jack. That isn’t a tree, Larry. It’s just a bush! 

Larry. A bush, is it? Indade it ain’t thin! It’s a foine 
Christmas tree, if ye plaze, and yez wants to take aff 
yez hat to it. It cost money, good cash. 

Jack. But a Christmas tree is big and tall, Larry, 
and all covered with popcorn and candles and shiny 
things. 

Larry, ©id yez ever have a tree loike thot? 

Jack. Of course. They’re always like that. At least 
they were in Millville. 

Tom. Were there any woods near Millville, Jacky? 

Jack. Yes, a lot of them, and Papa .went out and cut 
the tree. 

Tom. That’s it. There aren’t any woods here in the 
city, Jack, and they wouldn’t let any one cut down the 
trees in the' park, so you have to buy ’em. They come 
on the train a long, long way, and that makes ’em ^ost 
more. Why, a tree like those you used to have would 


LITTLE JACK'S CHRISTMAS 7 

cost five or six dollars, and where would you get that 
much money ? 

Jack. But that's just a Christmas bush! 

Larry. It’s the biggest and bist branch av a foine big 
tree, thot cost a heap av money, and it niver cost me a 
rid cint, nayther. 

Tom. You didn’t swipe it, Larry? 

Larry. Sure and I didn’t. A big man was a-buying 
it, and a little gurrul with a blue bunnit was a-helping 
him pick it out, and she got her heart set on this one. 
“Oi’m afraid it’s too tall for our rooms,” sez he. “Yez 
can cut aff the top,” siz the chap what had ’em to sell. 
“No,” sez she, “Oi don’t want the top cut off. It’s jist 
right to hold my angel,” sez she. “All roight, Kitty,” 
says her Dad, “We’ll cut aff the bottom.” Thin Oi saw 
me chance, and I sez, sez 1, /Tf Oi’ll carry it home for 
yez, will yez give me one o’ the branches, if yez have to 
cut it aff?” “What do yez want with one branch?” sez 
he ? And Oi up and told him how we had to have a 
tree for Jacky, cuz he’d allers had one, and he sez to 
the man, sez he, “Cut off that lowest branch.” And he 
did, and the gintleman said, “There’s your tree, me bye, 
and here’s something to buy Jack .a prisint,” sez he. And 
he give me a dollar bill, and Oi’ve got a foine prisint 
for Jacky with it. Now, Jacky, me bye, thot’s a foine 
tree, and don’t yez be a sticking up yez nose at it. 

Jack. I won’t, Larry. But how will you make it 
stand up? Papa used to plant it in a pail of dirt, but 
there don’t seem to be any dirt in the city. 

. Tom. Here, I can plant it. (He gets a lard pail.) 
Stuff it in there, Larry, and hold it. There! (Tucking 
a shirt and a dish towel around it.) I’ll have it planted 
in a jiffy. (Tucks in things till it stands as he, wants 
it.)- There ! now prop it against the wall, so it won’t tip 
over, and it’s complete. No, that won’t do.. Shove it 
into the corner. (They push the table into the corner.) 
Now tie it to them nails, and you’ve got it where it won’t 
rumaWay, , : -A* A''A f • j 


8 LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 

Larry. {tying it). Guess Oi ought to hev fixed it 
last night. 

Jack. Did you have it last night, Larry? Where? 

Larry. Oh, Mamie Foley kept it for me. She’s got 
some cute fixings for it. Bring on your popcorn, now. 

(Jack festoons his popcorn chain on the “tree” Tom 
hangs on his apples , Larry puts on two candles, in the 
little spring holders, and deposits a bundle or two below 
it. Enter Mamie, her apron held in one hand, and Kiddo 
clinging to the other.) 

Mamie. Oh, ain’t it fine? Here’s the chains and 
lanterns. And this is the best I could do for an angel, 
Larry. Will it do, do you think? 

Kiddo. {pointing). Apple. 

Larry, {taking the angel). Sure and it’s foine, Ma¬ 
mie, wings and all, and a gold crown on its head, and a 
shtick in its hand with a shtar on the end av it. And 
what a foine long gownd. 

Mamie. That isn’t a stick, it’s a wand, Larry, and 
the skirt had to be long, ’cause her legs is broke off. 
Hang her this way, and the broken hand won’t show, 
and I guess she’ll do. It’s all the doll I had but a black 
rag one, the one Kiddo’s got there, and I don’t think an 
angel ought to be black. Besides, he wouldn’t let me 
have her. 

{The angel is a very small china doll, such as sells for 
five cents. A piece of cotton cloth is gathered around its 
neck. The crown-, wand, wings and belt are of gold 
paper, glued on. The chains and lanterns are of the 
colored paper that comes around bundles. All children 
know how to make the chains. The lanterns are an 
oblong piece of paper, folded in the middle and cut into 
slits, leaving a border uncut, then unfolded and pasted 
together, and a handle pasted on. 7'hey hang the things 
on the tree.) 

Kiddo. {loudly). Apple. 

{He has been saying “apple” in every pause in Ma- 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 


9 


mie’s speech, and now he screams it, beating Mamie with 
his little fists.) 

Kiddo. Apple! Apple! ! Apple! ! ! 

Mamie. No, no, Kiddo, they’re for the tree. 

Kiddo. (crying). Apple! Apple! 

Tom. (handing him one.) There Kiddo, take it and 
close your face, do. You might swallow yourself if you 
opened your mouth any wider. 

(Kiddo takes the apple, smiles, says happily, “Apple,” 
and seats himself on the floor to eat it.) 

(Mamie tucks a package- behind the pail, and hangs 
a couple of very small ones on the tree. Enter Sam 
and I key.) 

Ikey. See what I got! Candy! (Holds up some col¬ 
ored sticks of candy.) Got an extra dime in change, 
’cause ’twas Christmas. (They tie them on the tree.) 

Kiddo. Candy. (He keeps on, as he did with the 
apple, till he gets a piece.) 

Sam. (producing some fragments of glass balls). 
And look at these! They threw them away at the five 
and ten—just dumped ’em. Course they’re broke, but 
ain’t they pretty? 

Mamie. They are lovely, I think. We can tie them 
on, somehow. (They do so.) 

Ikey. And a man fot was a Cherman gave me dis, 
cos for why, I vos Cherman, too, und he said a Cher¬ 
man tree always had one at der foot of him. And he’s 
going to give me a chob out at his place, next month, 
’cause I picked up his pocket purse and give it back, 
unstead off running off wid him. He ask me fot I want 
most und I tell him somedings for Tacky’s tree, und he 
gif me dis, and dis, (shozving a bundle) fot I won’t open 
chust yet, aind it. 

(He unfolds one of the cardboard representations of 
the nativity, and puts it under the tree.) 


10 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 


Mamie. Oh, there’s the dear little Christ Child in 
the manger. 

Sam. And see the cows and the sheep. Gee! that’s 
great. And look at the angel atop of the tree. 

Jack. Now if we only had a star—the Star of Beth¬ 
lehem, you know. We always had one on my tree. 

Mamie. I thought of that, and Carlotta’s making one 
out of yeastcake wrappers and pasteboard. Here she 
comes now. 

(Carlotta enters, with the star in her hand.) 

Carlotta. Is this righta Mamie mia ? Ah! What a 
beautiful, magnificenta tree! Never did I see such a 
beautiful thing! 

Jack. Really, Carlotta? Didn’t you ever have a Christ¬ 
mas tree? 

Carlotta. Ah, no, never did I see one at alia. And • 
you? 

Jack. I’ve always had one, every year—a big one. 

Carlotta. Ah, you must have been of a richness, yes? 

Jack. Why, no. I thought I was a poor little boy, 
till I learned better. What you got for the tree, Sam? 

vS 'am. This. I found it in the road. ( takes a sleigh- 
bell from his pocket, and hands it to Larry). Tie it on, 
somewhere, and it will ring when the tree jiggles. And 
I got some shiny stuff in a box. Snow sparkle, it said, 
but ’twas most empty. 

Larry. Blest if I can see how yez are going to hang 
that on. 

Mamie. Looks like salt. 

Carlotta. It is, perhaps, of a sweetness? 

Jack. No, it’s just sparkle. I know how to put in on. 
Here. (He takes the box, and sprinkles the very little 
it contains on the tree.) 

Sam. And I got some doughnuts, for a treat, after 
the tree. 

KAddo. Doughnut. . - 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 


11 


Sam. Yes, you shall have one by and by, Kiddo. 

Kiddo. Doughnut! Doughnut! 

Mamie. Fie for shame, Kiddo. You mustn’t be a pig. 

Kiddo. Doughnut! Doughnut! ! 

Larry. Oh, give him one, Sam. He’ll keep that up 
till he gets it. (Sam does so.) 

Carlotta. And in my bag-a I have the banan’ from 
zee- fruit-a store. Mine brutter Bruno he say zey is 
black-a, but all better for zat-a. Nica ripe-a, no sella, 
we have-a him'. 

Kiddo. Nanna. 

Larry. Give him one, quick, before he gets a going. 

Kiddo. Nanna! Nanna! 

Carlotta. Here, bambino. (Gives him one.) And 
now all is of a readiness, yes? 

Tom. Yes, all ready. Ain’t that a fine tree? 

Carlotta. It is of a fineness, yes. 

Larry. Now we don’t want to tear it to pieces too 
quick, and shpoil sich a foine soight, so we’ll jist have 
a vodyvil show while we injye it.. Miss Mamie Foley 
will now sing “Rory O’More.” 

(Any other Irish song will do as well as (( Rory 
O'More.” Mamie sings. The applause should be loud 
and enthusiastic.) 

Larry. Next on our progryamme will be a song by 
Miss Carlotta Savelli. Pipe up a real Eyetalian song, 
now, my Primy Donny. 

(If possible, have Carlotta sing in Italian. If not, let 
her sing a popular song. In this case, alter Larry's an¬ 
nouncement to suit.) 

Larry. Next comes a recitation by Master Reginald 
Algernon Terence Foley. 

Mamie. He don’t know that’s his name, Larry. He’s 
never got used to it yet. 

Tom. No wonder. You’ll have to introduce him to* 


12 LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 

it a little at a time. Come, Kiddo, speak us a piece. 

Kiddo. No. 

Mamie. Oh, be a nice boy, Kiddo. Tell ’em about 
Old Mother Hubbard. 

Larry. Holler away now. 

Kiddo. No. 

I key. Vant some more candy, ain’t it, Kiddo? 

Kiddo. Yes, more candy. 

Ikey. Den you dell us apout dat old vomans under 
her leetle tog, und I gives you some, see? 

Kiddo. (recites Old Mother Hubbard rapidly, saying 
“Candy” as soon as the ivord “bone” is fairly out, and 
continuing until the candy is safe in his possession.) 

Sam. I know why the cupboard was bare, Kiddo. 
’Cause you got there before the dog did. Say, Mamie, 
does he eat all the time? 

Mamie. Pretty much. When he ain’t a eating, he’s 
a crying for something to eat. I don’t see where he 
puts it all. 

Kiddo. My tummy. 

Larry. Next we will have a whistling solo by Sam. 
I big yez pardon, by Mister Samule Johnson. 

(Sam whistles.) 

Larry. Now comes a select German song by our 
friend Isaac Bernstein. 

Sam. Yes, reel off the queer words, Ikey. 

(Let Ikey sing a song in German, if possible.) 

Tom. Funny. Ikey sings one kind o’ lingo, and Car- 
lotta another, and we can’t tell what either of ’em say, 
nor they can’t tell what each other says. 

Mamie. Your turn, now, Tom. 

Larry. Yis, indade. Our talented young friend, Thos. 
Turner, being more gifted in his heels than in his head, 
will now dance for the company, accompanied by the 
whistler. (Sam whistles and. Tom dances.) 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 13 

Larry. What’ll you do, Jacky, me bye? 

Jack. Oh, I’ll speak a piece. (He speaks a Christ¬ 
mas piece.) 

Mamie. Now you speak “The Little Rid Hin,” Larry, 
do. (Larry. does so. Any piece with a good brogue 
will do.) 

Sam. Now we’ll wind up with a rousing chorus, and 
then we’ll have the tree. 

Kiddo. Got it now. 

Sam. As much of it as isn’t inside you, Kiddo. I 
mean we’ll take off the presents. 

Mamie. Let’s sing—(“ Soldiers of St. Nick]” 25c, or 
“When Good Old Kris Comes 'Round, 15c, suggested. 
She names whatever song is chosen, and they begin to 
sing, Mamie “playing the piano” on the table, Carlotta 
picking at an imaginary guitar. Let each imitate playing 
on some instrument.. In the midst of the fun a knock 
is heard. Larry goes to door.) 

Larry. Sure, and won’t yez walk in, ladies and gen¬ 
tlemen? (The visitors crozed in f calling cheerily, “Merry 
Christmas.”) 

Sam. Same to you, but I guess you’ve got the wrong 
number. 

Lazirence. Oh, no, we haven’t. You’re the boy that 
helped me out when I fell off the dock. Don’t you re¬ 
member telling me where you lived, and about the other 
three boys who lived with you? 

Sam. Why, yes. 

Lazvrence. Well, this is just a Christmas surprise 
party. But you seem to be keeping Christmas all by 
yourselves. 

Kitty, (to Larry). You’re the boy that had a piece 
of my Christmas tree. We brought you some things for 
it, but it’s all trimmed. It looks very pretty. 

Larry. Don’t it jist? But perhaps ’twould hold a 
bit more. (The children pile bundles on the table, and 
put tinsel and glass balls on the tree.) 


14 


LITTLE JACK'S CHRISTMAS 


Dorothy. But we didn’t know about your sisters. 

Tom. They aren’t our sisters. This is Carlotta Sa- 
velli, and this is Mamie Foley and her little brother, 
Reginald Algernon Terence Foley, known as Kiddo, the 
Awful Stuffer. 

Lawrence. You’re Tom, I’m sure, and this is Ikey, 
so that must be Larry. But who is this little chap? 

(Florence and Walter have been whispering together 
and now Walter goes out. When he returns he has a doll 
or two, a picture book and a Teddy Bear; also a package 
or two, which he puts near the tree. Meanwhile the talk 
goes on.) 

Jack. I’m Jack. 

Sam. He’s a kid we’ve adopted. 

Kitty. The one the tree was for, because he’d always 
had one. There’s some things here for him. 

Lillian. What’s your name beside Jack, little boy? 

Jack. It’s John Worthington Norton. 

Bffie. John Worthington Norton! My Papa is John 
Worthington. Is your Mamma’s name Euphemia? and 
did she ever live out West? 

Jack. She’s dead, but she lived out West once, when 
she was first married, I know. 

Bffie. And was her name Euphemia? 

Jack. Yes, but Papa always called her Effie. 

Bffie. They always call me Effie, too, but my name 
is Euphemia. 

Jack. Why, how funny! 

Bffie. Were you named for her brother? 

Jack. Yes, How do you know so much about me? I 
never saw you before, I’m sure. 

Bffie. No, but I’m your cousin, I’m sure. 

Jack. My uncle lives on a farm. 

Bffie. So do I; but we’re here in the city hunting 
for you. iS-|] 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 15 

Jack. For me? 

Bffie. Yes, for you. Papa went to Millville, but you 
wasn’t there. 

Jack. Mamma wrote to her brother, and he never an¬ 
swered. He didn’t want to see her. 

Bffie. Oh, yes, he did. But he never got the letter. 
He heard, by accident, that a man named Forrest Nor¬ 
ton was living in Millville, and went there, but the man 
was dead, and no one knew where the lady and little boy 
w r ent. Then he got word that they had traced you to 
New York, and we came. You’re coming home with me, 
Cousin Jack. 

Tom. Better bring your Dad to see him tomorrow, 
and make sure. 

Ikey. Yes, he might be der wrong poy, aretty. 

Bffie. I don’t think so. And you boys that have been 
good to him, Papa won’t forget you. 

Tom. We don’t want any pay for keeping the lit¬ 
tle chap. We’ll miss him awfully. Thank you for help¬ 
ing us make a Christmas for him, and let him stay with 
us tonight. We want him to have his tree. We’ve work¬ 
ed and saved for it some time. 

Walter. Let’s all stay to the tree—that is, if you don’t 
mind? 

Larry. Sure we’d be honored intirely. Will the lit¬ 
tle leddies be pleased to stay to Jacky’s tree? 

Kitty. We’ll be glad to, if you’ll all come to my tree 
tomorrow night. You know where I live, and Effie is 
staying with me. She’s my cousin, too, as well as Jack’s. 
All these boys and girls will be there. Will you come ? 

Kiddo. You have some candy? 

Kitty. Yes, you shall have all the candy you can eat. 

Kiddo. Me come, girl. 

Larry. Bedad, but yez don’t know what ye’ve prom¬ 
ised. ’Twill take a cartload to fill Kiddo up. 

Carlotta. Will it be a large tree, like Jacka tell of? 


16 


LITTLE JACK’S CHRISTMAS 


Ikey. A regular Cherman tree, I pet! 

Mamie. We’ll be glad to come, only none of us have 
anything nice to wear. 

Florence. That doesn’t matter. You’ll all come? 

Larry. Arrah, Oi’ll see thot they do, ivery one av 
thim, bliss your pretty face. And thin, if Jacky turns up 
to be the roight lad, we’ll lave him with ye, for he’s al¬ 
ways been a little gintleman, and not fit fer the rough 
life we lead. 

Sam. Can we see him sometimes. 

Bffie. Of course you can. Oh, Jack, I’m sure you 
are my cousin, and I’m so glad! 

Jack. I am, too. I know Mamma wanted Uncle 
Jack to take me, but she thought he didn’t want me. 

Larry. And now, ladies and gintlemin, put on your 
widest grins and be jolly. We’re no hogs, and we’re glad 
Jacky is going to have a better chance than we can give 
him. One good song, now, a Christmas one, by the visi¬ 
tors, and we will onload this wonderful tree. Pipe her 
up, now. 

Lillian. Oh, let’s sing—( Names some Christmas 
carol.) All sing. At close of song curtain goes down. 
Just as it falls, Kiddo says loudly “Apple!” 


CURTAIN. 


FOB YOUR NEXT 

CHURCH BENEFIT? 

At The Village Postoffice 

By SEYMOUR S. TIBBALS. 

This is a pleasing comedy introducing any num¬ 
ber of characters and especially adapted for a 
church, school or lodge benefit. The Presbyterian 
Church, at Franklin. Ohio, used it last winter and 
cleared $250. The play gave splendid satisfac- , 
tion and helped the church socially as well as 
financially. 

Something About the Play. 

The action takes place in a country postoffice and 
the various characters come and go. The parts are 
nearly all short, only a few of them running through¬ 
out the entire play. In this way a number of 
adults and children may be used and the interest 
in the entertainment greatly widened. The cos¬ 
tumes may be made very funny with no expense. 
There are ample opportunities for the introduction 
of songs, choruses, recitations and drills, thus afford¬ 
ing a varied program. The scenery is easily ar¬ 
ranged and the play can be produced on any stage. 
The author having had experience on both the 
professional and amateur stage has produced one 
of the best amateur entertainments we have ever 
seen in “At the Village Postoffice/* 

The rights of production go with the purchase 
of the book and you do not have to give up 50 
per cent, of your receipts to a trainer or producer. 

PRICE 25 CENTS. 

Eldrldge Entertainment House 

FRANKLIN, - OHIO 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



0 034 076 588 6 


A HIT ON YOUR NEXT PROGRAM! 

Something Out of The Ordinary 
In High-Glass Humorous Songs. 


MUSICAL SKETCHES FOR YOUNG LADIES 

By Harry C. Eldridge 

These fill an urgent need in supplying 
musical numbers with action, for any secular 
program, for girls or ladies of any. age. Clever 
words and singable music combined to make 
novel numbers for your entertainment. 

THE HAT OF OTHER DAYS. Everyone knows how 
ridiculous the changing styles make out-of- 
date hats appear. The song is based on this 
fact, and the appearance of these ‘ ‘hats of 
other days” will cause loads of merriment. 

“1 CAN’T DO A THING WITH MY HAIR SINCE 1FMTOED.” 
Bid you ever hear the above expression? They 
all say it. This song is for>a merry group of 
girls who have trouble in keeping their hair in 
bounds. A jolly song. 

REDUCED TO $1.09. The figures in a dry goods 
show window are indignant at having to par¬ 
ticipate in so many “reduction sales,” and, 
revolting, walk off the stage after telling 
their troubles in song. The eccentric motions 
of these figures make a very laughable number. 

THE WINNING WAYS OF GRANDMA’S DAYS. Sung in 
costume, this portrays the many welcome and 
pleasing costumes of “ye olden times.” Di¬ 
rections for minuet included. Very enjoyable. 

Any one of the above sent postpaid on receipt of 25 cents. 

ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE 

Franklin, Ohio; 














